Sweet Cheese Pastries - Brânzoaice/Poale-n brau Eastern European dessert cozy morning treat

feta cheese

🥗Healthier: cottage cheese

💰Cheaper: ricotta

Cottage cheese is lower in fat and calories while still providing creaminess.

sour cream

🥗Healthier: Greek yogurt

💰Cheaper: plain yogurt

Greek yogurt offers a similar tang with fewer calories.

butter

🥗Healthier: olive oil

💰Cheaper: margarine

Olive oil is healthier and adds a unique flavor.

egg

🥗Healthier: flaxseed meal

💰Cheaper: aquafaba

Flaxseed meal can bind ingredients while being plant-based.

Take the butter out of the fridge a few hours before so it gets to room temperature.

Warm the milk until it's below boiling, around 45-60 degrees Celsius.

Mix the warm milk with sugar and yeast.

Slowly add the yolks and keep mixing.

Add the butter to the mixture.

Mix the flour with the mixture from the previous steps.

Add the salt, lemon zest, and vanilla to the mixture and keep mixing. Once it gets harder, start mixing with your hands.

Let the dough rise until it doubles in size.

Prepare the cheese filling by mixing the cheese with eggs, sugar, vanilla sugar, vanilla essence, salt, raisins, and zest.

Add the semolina to the cheese mixture and mix well.

Split the dough into smaller pieces.

Flatten each piece into a rounded shape.

Fill each dough section with the cheese mixture and shape them as desired.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius for at least 15-20 minutes before baking.

Brush the tops of the pastries with beaten egg before baking.

Bake for 10 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius, then lower the temperature to 160 degrees Celsius and bake for another 15 minutes.

Cooking Techniques

Spice Level:

Allergens